Bargetto Chaucer's Mead

The honey for Bargetto's specialty dessert-style wine is produced in hives throughout the Sierras. It is composed of a blend of three types of honey: alfalfa, orange blossom and toyon. Each type brings a unique quality to the blend and contributes to the overall complexity of the mead. Alfalfa is neutral in flavor but yields a dark, amber color. The orange blossom brings a floral bouquet to the nose of the wine. Toyon, an evergreen shrub also known as California Holly, is lighter in color than the alfalfa and helps to balance the blend.

Winemaker Notes:
This wine is produced utilizing fresh honey without the addition of artificial flavorings, concentrates or artificial colorings. Even though greater production difficulties ensue because pure, raw honey is used for fermentation, the intensity of flavor generated through this technique is worth the effort.

Although this wine exhibits richness similar to a fine liqueur, this dessert-style beverage is not fortified and contains only 10.5% alcohol. Hence, this wine should be consumed shortly after purchase to enjoy its natural and rich honey flavor. The Mead can be enjoyed in one of two ways, either chilled or heated with spices to create a delicious wintry drink.

Technical Notes:

Sources:	Toyon- Sierras; Alfalfa, Orange Blossom- Central Valley
Alcohol:	10.5%
Total Acidity:	.83g
Residual Sugar:	10%
Harvest Season:	May 15 - July 15